


Mistaken Identity

by HalfElvishVixen



Category: Naruto, Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series)
Genre: Naruto Pokemon Crossover
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-03
Updated: 2020-08-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:21:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25696450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HalfElvishVixen/pseuds/HalfElvishVixen
Comments: 1
Kudos: 5





	Mistaken Identity

Itachi watched the young man who was approaching him with a smile on his face. The boy didn’t look like much, but Itachi was living proof that appearances didn’t account for anything. Something, he guessed by the confused look on the kid’s face, he seemed to have forgotten himself. 

Itachi liked going out the night before a challenge to get to know the person who was coming to earn a chance to fight the champion. Most of the people who made it this far were smart, people who cared about their pokemon, people who had strong ideals and incredible conviction. This young man had proved to be no different. He’d asked one of the professors to introduce them and he’d bought the young man’s meal and discussed his desire to someday help devise a breeding program for rare pokemon that were at risk of going extinct. Itachi had very much enjoyed the discussion and had a sneaking suspicion he would be seeing him the next day. 

“Congratulations Keller,” Itachi spoke softly, letting the acoustics of the champion’s chamber carry his voice, “You did very well to make it this far. Not a single one of the elite four you just faced is an easy match so to defeat all of them in turn means you’re incredibly strong.” 

“Thank you, Mr. Uchiha.” Itachi could hear the confusion in Keller’s voice, “I didn’t expect to see you here. Do…do you work for the champion?” Keller was looking around the room for someone else, for the looming shadow of the battle giant he expected to face. 

“In a way. Before this goes on, I wanted to take a moment to thank you for our discussion yesterday. You are a bright young man and your love for your partner pokemon is a marvelous thing. I’m not surprised in the slightest to see how far you’ve managed to come. Would you like to sit for a moment and catch your breath? The next challenge you face will be your most difficult so it’s understandable if you would like to rest for a few minutes.”

Keller looked somewhere between confused, flustered, and grateful for the praise. But Itachi could tell the boy was anxious. 

Most of the challengers that came to face him were. Granted, there were precious few who made it passed the elite four that stood in the way of facing him as the champion. Shisui was a wild thing when it came to battling. Gai was an absolute powerhouse with his well-trained team. Rin may not have looked it, but she wouldn’t hesitate in a second to crush her opponent and she was more then capable of doing so. And then Kakashi, of course, who’s brilliance was what made him perhaps the most feared of the four of them. 

Maybe it was because so few trainers ever reached the champion’s stage that the rumors about Itachi had blown out of proportion. If the elite four were so fearsome, then surely the trainer who stood above them, who waited for the rare day a worthy challenger appeared, must be some monstrously strong trainer. Indeed, some of the rumors claimed that Itachi was truly monstrous. That he was actually some kind of mythic pokemon in his own right, masquerading as a trainer. Those particular rumors always made Itachi laugh. 

No, the reality was much more mundane. Yes, Itachi was a strong trainer. He wouldn’t have become champion if that wasn’t the case. But he was hardly the figure that most people imagined up for what the champion must look like. 

Really he only had himself to blame. Champions in other regions were known for making public figures out of themselves, appearing in interviews, traveling around the region to showcase their skills and encourage trainers to come challenge them. There was nothing wrong with that, but it wasn’t the kind of person Itachi was. In some ways, being champion was kind of a nuisance for Itachi. He enjoyed battling to an extent, but he would much rather spend his time traveling, researching, and raising pokemon on his own or with Shisui, out of the public eye. 

Even on the occasions that he did attend some official event with his friends, most people overlooked him. He was quiet, small boned, a terribly bookish looking man. Compared to the elite four he was all together forgettable and he was most thankful that none of his friends went out of their way to correct people when they mistook him for a professor or something similar. 

So really, it wasn’t all that uncommon for the trainers that did reach him to be anywhere from nervous, to jumpy, to down right panicking. So Itachi always tried to do his best to put the challengers at ease. 

“With all do respect, Mr. Uchiha, I’m ok. Is the champion not here yet? I assumed he would be waiting for me but it’s ok if he isn’t. I really don’t mind.”  
Itachi smiled, “What if I were to tell you that I am the champion?” 

The boy laughed. Someone else might have been insulted, but Itachi was fairly used to that kind of a reaction. If anything, he was glad to see the tension drop out of Keller’s shoulders. 

“I agree it would be rather difficult to believe,” Itachi said with a chuckle of his own, “But I am a trainer myself and I don’t get a lot of opportunities to battle. Actually, since it seems the champion is running a little late, perhaps you would be willing to indulge me?” 

Itachi watched as Keller tried to make sense of the request, “are you…. are you asking me if I’ll battle you before the champion gets here?” Itachi nodded, running a hand up to brush his bangs back out of his face and tucking them back behind his ear. 

“It would mean a lot to me; I think it would be a great opportunity for me to learn from. And I would be more than happy to heal up your team afterward, so what do you say?” Keller watched Itachi, studying the raven-haired man with a curious eye. He worried at his lower lip, his hand going to rest on one of the pokeballs hooked to his belt. 

“You don’t think that the champion will mind?” Keller asked. Itachi shook his head.

“I am certain that he won’t. I know the man quite well. In fact I’ve known him essentially all my life.” Itachi smiled at his own little joke. Keller would figure it out sooner or later. After all, Itachi himself might not be the most distinctive person, but the whole region knew Itachi’s team. Keller nodded and he pulled the pokeball he’d been resting his hand on off his belt. With a casual toss, he threw out his first pokemon, an impressive looking pidgeot. Itachi bowed his head to the young man, taking his place at the other end of the arena. 

“I hope you aren’t planning on going easy on me, Keller. Because I have every intention of giving this battle my all.” Itachi considered his opponent, watching the boy’s expression as he carefully selected the first pokemon he would use. Sylveon, I hope you’re ready. He tossed the pokeball out, watching in a wonder that never went away as the beautiful pink and white eeveelution took center stage. Keller blinked once, then twice, then his face began to flush red as realization started to dawn on him. 

“Mr. Uchiha, I-“

“It’s Champion Itachi, actually, Keller. At least until this battle is finished. Now give it everything you got. Show me why you deserve to be standing in front of me right now.”


End file.
